site.btaGerman Chancellor: Bulgaria Can Request Creation of Hotspot for Migrants

German Chancellor: Bulgaria Can Request Creation of Hotspot for Migrants

Brussels, September 24 (BTA Correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - At an informal meeting on migration held here Wednesday, the EU heads of state and government agreed to assist frontline Member States, such as Italy and Greece, in the establishment of so-called hotspots - registration and reception centres that will ensure a correct identification of migrants, processing of protection seekers' requests, as well as relocation and returns.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference on Thursday morning that Bulgaria as a frontline Member State can also request the establishment of such a hotspot and the corresponding financial aid.

In her words, Bulgaria has pointed out that it is not part of the Schengen area but has a common border with Turkey, and that it is subjected to huge migration pressure. "We said [at the meeting] that if Bulgaria wishes to set up such a hotspot, it is going to get the same kind of support from the European institutions and agencies as Greece and Italy. However, it is not as if we wanted to empose something on Bulgaria," Merkel specified. Bulgaria itself said that it has a problem and asked why such a hotspot is not going to be established in the country, so it is quite understandable that it should argue along these lines, she added.